On The Offensive
by Don'tLetThemGetYouDown
Summary: "You shouldn't be calling me." He snarled. "This is wrong and you know it." "I do." "Then why do you do it?" "I can't help myself. Why aren't you hanging up?" "Fuck." He hissed. "I have no idea." Finally, he lets out a deep breath. "What are you wearing, Bella?" Bella and Edward hate each other and we all know, hate and lust are different sides of one coin. AH/AU. Canon.
1. Chapter 1

**On the Offensive**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners the original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Summary: Bella Swan has one life mission: to reveal and bring down all corrupt institutions through her investigative journalism. And she's starting with U-Dub's crooked sports teams. But when she is reunited with her ultimate crush and star quarterback, Edward Cullen, snarky and conceited Bella is forced to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about life, love and morals. **

**All human, all original couples. **

* * *

**B POV**

"…And finally, to Bella Swan, the reporter, who cracked the underground system of football players and their illicit grade operation...good job." My editor and boyfriend, Mike Newton, raised his glass of cider (too many faculty advisors in the room to sneak out the real champagne) in a toast.

I smiled in satisfaction, raising my glass as well to my significant other and looking over all the other jealous so-called reporters. They smiled in fake contentment but I knew just how jealous and petty they felt.

I loved it.

When I had started working at _The Daily_, everyone had been sure that I had gotten a lucky break when I showed up with a story that had gotten six Huskies cheerleaders kicked off the squad and three Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders arrested. Then when my small lull (or as I call it, my vacation) started they assumed it had been my pretty face, the one that Mike was infamous for salivating over, that kept me on the paper. If they only knew. I had spent the next few months of my freshman year, laying low, waiting for the perfect moment to make my opening.

Right before finals started, my first official article appeared. It detailed the account of how the basketball coach bet against his own team and guaranteed his winnings by making sure that the team was unprepared and completely wrecked for games. Even to the point of feeding them energy bars that made them gain weight instead of...well whatever it is that energy bars actually do. I think someone saw _Mean Girls_ one too many times.

That article was picked up by three papers: _Seattle Press, Miami Herald_ and _The Democrat_. Good but not great. What I wanted more than anything was for my article to be picked up by the _New York Times_. This article was going to get it. Gambling coach was lame and inconsequential. A school wide operation that insured the football team's dumbest players were able to make the grade so they could continue to play was _gold_. While I hadn't been able to get proof that Dean Volturi had been in on it, I just knew in my gut that he was. And my gut didn't lie.

Three first string players had already been suspended, pending a case by the school's disciplinary board, after having been named in the article. Those three were the only ones whose names I could confirm but I was sure after a full scale investigation that more would be suspended and once the administration was convinced of what I had told them, they would be expelled.

There was nothing that riled me up more than the sports teams getting special treatment at school. It was my life's mission to make sure that the corrupt corporations that bent the rules while regular people got screwed where brought down and this was only the beginning. When I graduated next year, no one was going to be safe.

That was the reason that I had chosen U-Dub, I knew from my research that it was one of the most corrupt institutions in the United States. Irony considering the motto of the school, _Lux sit_, meant 'Let There Be Light.' Either way, corruption meant stories. The articles that I would write here would be sure to get me noticed by the big papers, and hated by all other reporters along the way.

I shivered in satisfaction. I loved my life. Well most of it anyway.

"Congrats babe." Mike said slithering on over to my side.

God, how I wish the cider in my cup was something hard.

Mike wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. "This is sure to get picked up once the word gets out. Give it a few hours." He gave me a wink and rubbed his hand in soft circles at my waist.

While I had more than enough talent to get by on my own, my fellow colleagues weren't wrong in their assumption that I had used Mike's attraction to my advantage. Mike was a stepping stone to something better but in order to get there, I needed to make sure that he wasn't going to get in my way.

This was a simple means to an end. It would've been nice if he had been able to scratch my sexually stimulated itch but no one had before, so I had no choice to do it myself and I had no means to judge Mike with just because he had mundane taste.

"Don't worry." I assured him. "I'll stay here as long as it takes to wait for their call." I patted his cheek sharply and turned back to chug down my glass of cider. This call was coming. I knew it. It had to.

**Five Hours Later...**

I tapped my desk anxiously angry at the goddamn newspapers and myself. I was so fucking stupid. Of course they wouldn't pick up this stupid article. It was poorly written with horrible vocabulary.

I mean I had used the word _clandestine_. "Who the fuck uses the word clandestine anymore?" I screeched angrily and threw my favorite knick-knack, a Hogwarts sorting hat, across the room.

I let out another scream of frustration and couldn't help but let out a tear of anger. Thank God I wasn't in my dorm right now. I don't think I could've handled having my roommate, Alice, seeing my cry. If there was something you could be sure that I hated it was crying, especially if I was the one doing it. Alice would insist on some ritualistic girl friendship ceremony to get over it. I loved Alice but I hated that ridiculous shit.

I wiped the tear on my hand, careful not to get it on my practically new sweater dress. I had very few dresses and I didn't normally wear them but today I had felt good about the article and thought wearing the dress would be a good idea. I had killer legs and if people were going to stare at me in jealousy, I was sure as hell going to look good while they did.

_Bang!_ _Bang! Bang!_

The noise continued repeating and I realized that someone was slamming against the door. This room was only used by _The Daily_, therefore most staff reporters and editors got their own desks and computers, the only people who had keys were those who had desks. Whoever was trying to get in here wasn't on staff and definitely didn't have a key.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

My internal alarms started pounding in my ears, overshadowing the sound of someone trying to break in. My breathing picked up and I tried my best to get it under control. I was a cop's daughter, the _Police Chief's _daughter for God's sake. Hell, I had a Taser!

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

I quickly grabbed said Taser out of my purse and made my way into a dark corner turning off all the lights that I could.

The door finally crashed open, hitting the wall and was subsequently slammed closed.

I could hear multiple footsteps, heavy and soft, shuffling across the wooden floorboards.

I heard an infectious, booming laugh and a sharp shush.

"_Shut up! _Do you want to get caught?" A girl hissed.

"I don't necessarily think this was the best plan of action." I felt myself stifle a gasp, I knew that soft, velvety voice. Edward Cullen. The star quarterback for U-Dub's football team. Meaning that the other two voices were part of his trio, Rosalie Cullen, head cheerleader and his sister, and Emmett McCarthy, the best linebacker in half a century at U-Dub.

"Look let's just find her desk and try to find whatever evidence it is that she has before she can turn it over to the school board!" Rosalie snapped at the two boys.

One of them turned on a flashlight and I tried to melt into the wall. They fumbled around, looking at each desk, most likely trying to figure out which was mine.

"Here!" Emmett cried suddenly and I saw the light flash over in the direction of my desk.

_Dammit_.

It wasn't until I heard Rosalie try to yank open my drawers that I couldn't take their prepubescent attempt at sleuthing anymore.

I took a deep breath and walked over as stealthily as I could. Once I was right in front of them, I mustered up all the courage that I could. "Can I help you?" I said as snottily as I could.

All three of them jumped up in surprise, freezing as if they had seen a ghost. Then again in my dress, shoes and perfectly coiffed hair, they probably had.

"Get out of here!" I cried and pointed my Taser at them threateningly. Rosalie and Emmett ran out of the room quickly, dropping the flashlight on the floor but Edward stood rooted to his spot, clutching my purse in his hand.

"Let go of my purse. Unless you have some cross dressing tendencies, in which you and I will be having a completely different conversation." I teased and held out my hand.

He stepped closer and brought himself into the direct trajectory of the flashlight. He looked up at me, meeting my eyes for the first time in years. My body froze, my skin erupting in goose bumps and electricity coursing through my body. His smell overpowered me as he moved closer. I had always loved the way he smelled, rugged, sharp, fresh; like the meadow I was so found of walking through back home.

My breaths stopped as he reached over, placing the purse in my outstretched hand, our fingers brushing briefly, fire starting at his touch. I instinctively coiled back and my purse fell on the floor, the items scattering all over the floor. I had forgotten what it felt like to be around him. What it felt like to touch him, smell him…

He made a move to pick the items up but I stopped him quickly. "Leave them, I'll get it later."

"Sorry." He mumbled gruffly in a voice that made me tingle, especially at my core.

"For the purse or scaring the absolute crap out of me or trying to steal my hard work? Which by the way," I cried as he tried to open his mouth but I continued to cut him off. "Wouldn't have worked anyway since it's all on my computer, which A, you don't have the password to, and B, I have backups for."

He stood stunned and seemingly frozen in place. With the light, I could barely make out the clarity of his green eyes but I had seen them before and I knew that it was like looking through a pool with a deep green tint that faded into slight amber flecks in the center. I knew how treacherous it was to lie to those eyes.

"So I ask again, which are you sorry for?" I snapped, impressed by my ability to swoon and regret while still whip out retorts at the same time.

"Hey! You know, you started this!" He spat like a small child throwing a tantrum with poor evidence to his cause. "If you hadn't had written that damn article that got half our team suspended then we wouldn't have had to come in here and steal your _fake_ evidence."

I gasped in shock. Say what you will about my writing but I would have never published anything that wasn't backed by evidence. "Listen you little, thieving idiot. I didn't publish anything that isn't one hundred percent backed up by the facts. I'm sorry that your friend's egos were hurt but just because you throw around a piece of pigskin in an archaic show of dominance over women doesn't mean that you get to cheat the system that the rest of us define our lives by." I let out a puff of angry breath and was surprised to see that it didn't come with smoke.

"Don't get your panties all knotted just because you don't understand the game, Swan." He took a step closer to me. "What? Did the Homecoming King in Podunk, USA drop you for the head cheerleader too close to prom? Is that what made you such a frigid bitch?"

I recoiled in surprise and took a step back from him. I had known Edward for almost three years and I had never heard him speak so violently and angrily at someone. I hated myself for it but I was dampening with every harsh word of his mouth and lash of his angry tongue. God how I wanted that tongue. I wanted to know it's taste.

I opened my mouth ready to tell him about the dangers of insulting your own kind but he never even missed a beat stepping closer and following me until he had me up against a wall. "You've ruined people's lives. Royce King will most likely be suspended for the season, he's a senior, that means that he won't be drafted. Garrett and James could get kicked out of school! And what about those professors that you claimed were in on it? One of them was months away from retirement and won't get her hard earned pension. Did you even think of these things?"

I leaned against the wall for support. I could care less about the football players but I knew which professor he was talking about. Professor Cope. She was a sweetheart, I had had her freshman year and it had torn me apart to think that she had been in on this, helping football players cheat their way through an education but I had a duty to the paper and to myself and in the end, I decided that I had to print her name in the article. I had no idea this would've put her retirement fund into jeopardy.

"So I ask again," He threw my own words back at me, what a betrayal of the English language. We had been such good friends till that moment. "What is it that made you such a frigid bitch?"

I opened my mouth again, ready to respond but had no idea _what_ to say when he cut me off again.

"Maybe," He leaned in closely to me, his mouth against my ear. Making me shutter as if someone had walked over my grave. "It's that you've never been properly _fucked._"

I dropped my Taser in surprise and I heard a little zap, as it landed on the button but bounced off into the corner safely. I could feel his smirk against my cheek. _Asshole._ "That's what it is. Isn't it? I bet that's been your problem for years. All you had to do was tell me and I could've fixed it for you."

His words caused an instant reaction in me that not even another man's fingers had caused me. My nipples tightened in response and I felt myself moisten.

Was this a dream?

Or had I somehow stumbled into a porno? Or maybe even an alternate world, much like Dorothy and the techni-colored Oz, except here everything was over sexualized? I tried to remember if the delivery boy had offered me any sausage when he handed me the pizza today for lunch...

"You are dating one of these dweebs aren't you?" He motioned around the room, it seemed brighter as I realized the moon must have come out from behind the constant clouds that were in the Seattle sky. "I'm guessing the one who writes all those articles about how bees are going to signal the apocalypse." He smirked.

Dammit. He was right. How did he know that? Even I thought that had been a stupid article but Mike only wrote one article per month since he was the main editor and it wasn't like anyone could tell him no.

"First off, _Mike_ is already being vetted to work for the _New York Times_ after he graduates this year. Secondly, if the bee population declines it will ultimately lead to the end of crops and start a worldwide starvation. And lastly that article was picked up." _By me and thrown in the trash. _He didn't need to know that part though.

"Aw how cute of you to defend your meal ticket." He threw his hands to the wall on either side of my head, effectively trapping me. "The problem with being a gold digger is that your own pleasure and satisfaction isn't usually apart of the deal."

I could feel the anger rip through my body and I couldn't stop myself as I reached out to shove Edward off of me. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" I hissed hitting him in the chest pushing his back into the wall but with no intention of stopping from hitting him. "Some pretty boy who throws some goddamn ball to show proof to the world that the steroids haven't actually shrunk his dick into a nonexistent stick." He roughly wrangled my wrists into his hands tugging and twisting them until he was holding them down at my waist.

"Trust me baby," Another shiver ran through my body, I hated it when Mike called me babe but practically the same word on Edward's lips caused a pounding between my legs. "My cock is anything but a nonexistent stick." I knew that he was telling the truth. I had seen it pulled into skin-tight exercise pants before. It was anything but nonexistent.

Before I even realized what had happened, Edward had me slammed up against the wall again, his body pushed up against mine. "I could show you, if you wanted." His hand trailed down my bare leg, leaving bumps in its wake.

I wanted it.

Then the conversation was over as his lips skimmed my neck, his soft, coppery hair teasing the skin that it touched. I could feel the wet trail that he left on my neck but only touched the tip of his pout to my flesh. "Tell me if you want me to stop." He whispered quietly, hesitation showing in his eyes as he looked up at me.

My breathing intensified, I didn't want him to stop but there was no way in hell I could let him continue. I just wanted time to freeze at this moment, with him looking up at me as if he could see through my soul. Everything inside of this moment was perfect. The silence, the stillness, the moonlight, just us two.

As if of its own accord, my leg reached up and wrapped itself around his waist. _Traitor._

He stopped holding back. His palms cupped my ass pulling my other leg up over his waist holding me up as my head fell back, slamming into the wall. His lips attached to mine, suffocating my groan of pain with the pleasure of his tongue searching the confines of my mouth.

Our tongues battled, mimicking our argument from earlier, each of us besting each other at some point but in the end evenly matched. His hands massaged my flesh through my soft, cotton dress as I rubbed my core against his hardening length.

He stifled a groan as he was able to push my dress up out of the way to find the silky boy shorts I had on under. "_Fuck._" His hands slid down the curve of my ass, one pausing to hold me tightly to him, the other continued its trajectory to cup me in his hand.

I whimpered as he slipped a finger underneath the silk fabric, passing it along my slit, feeling how wet he had already made me. He let out a strangled noise and pulled his hand away, I cried at the loss but he was already moving.

I landed with a thud on a desk, he moved over and pushed all the supplies from the desk onto the floor and then leaned me over so my back was on the cold wood. He grabbed the flat ballet shoes that I had on and tossed them across the room before pulling my underwear off.

He towered over me, holding himself up on the desk with one arm then plunged his tongue into my mouth, kissing me with all of him. His other hand trailed teasingly on my thigh before he started stroking me, soft, fleeting, teasing.

"Harder Cullen!" I gasped breathlessly against his unwavering lips because while I'm desperate for more of his touch he is still causing me to grind helplessly against his palm.

My back arched against the desk as he pushed his long fingers as far inside of me as they would go. "_Oh God_." I moaned, his finger curving inside of me and I reached blindly for the edge of the desk trying to find something to hold on to.

"It's Edward." He smirked pulling his lips back out of my grasp. "But I could see how you could get confused. I'm sure no other man has made you feel this way before." I hated him for how right he was.

"I'm not sure what you mean...I don't see a _MAN!" _He added another finger in response to my talking and I'm ashamed of how quickly it worked to shut me up.

"You know," His nose skimmed the edge of my covered breasts. "I was going to let you come first before taking you but now I'm going to feel you clench down on my cock while you do."

I let out a crying moan against my gritted teeth. Why was he making me feel this way? Why did I want that more than anything I'd ever wanted in my life? Why was this happening? Why didn't I slap the smirk off his stupid, handsome face?

He pulled his fingers out of, leaving me bare and cold against the desk. He stuck his two fingers into his mouth noisily slurping my essence off them.

This couldn't happen. I couldn't be bested by his stupid, cocky, jock, beautiful ass. I had to get the upper hand again. I had to have him throbbing for me like I was for him.

I licked my dry lips in resolve before tugging at his elbow, bringing him closer while pulling myself up.

I grabbed his hand and brought his fingers to my lips, slurping at them much like he had. I tightened my suction on his fingers and looked up at him through my lashes, making sure my gaze never faltered. When I was sure that no evidence of his finger-fuck was left I released them with a pop. "Yum." I breathed and leaned back on my palms, sticking out my puckered breasts, easily seen through my thin bra.

His breathes become labored, eyes frozen on my lips. I bit my lower lip slightly, knowing how much appreciation I had received for that in the past.

He gulped.

I smiled in triumph.

I sat up straight and ran my finger along the edge of his jeans then my nail along his zipper. Having calmed down a bit since his fingers had been inside me I did my best to think clearly and speak without a tremor as I pressed my lips to his neck above his pulse. "Why don't we see if you're stick is nonexistent?"

I yanked—almost too eagerly—at the button, satisfied at how quickly he sprung free of his tight jeans. This stick was definitely existent, visibly tented with his boxers, even better than I remembered or could have even imagined. This time, he was the eager one as he expertly whipped off his boxers.

I licked my lips unconsciously before taking his long, warm length in my hands, feeling the impression of his girth. He whimpered and fell to his palms, gripping the edge of the desk.

I stroked him slowly and tenderly, hoping to tease him almost as much as he had teased me. "Do you like that?" I whispered before taking his lobe in my mouth, nipping at the smooth confines of his skin.

He didn't need to respond as I felt him throb hotly in my hand. Not that it mattered. I couldn't wait to have him inside me. "Do you have a condom?"

"Uh..._fuck_. Yes." He fumbled and looked down towards his pants. He searched through each pocket until he smiled triumphantly with a wallet in his hands. He pulled the condom out, quickly ripped it open and placed it on himself. I couldn't help but moan at the site of him rolling the condom on. I had always thought that that was sexy.

"Hurry up already." I seethed and he plunged into me.

I screamed through the mixture of pain and pleasure. Edward was slightly larger than I was used to but the pain was worth it as he began thrusting in and out of me. It was one of the most intense feelings I had ever felt, him throbbing inside me, filling me completely, our bare thighs brushing.

I was oddly entranced by the sight of the muscles in his legs straining at our angle. For me, sitting on the edge of the desk, it was obviously comfortable but he stood at the edge, bent at the knees as he tried to get deeper and deeper. As if that was possible.

"Do you like that? Can you feel what it's like to finally be sated?" He growled.

I held back the whimper that threatened my lips and quickly pushed my hips into his, trying to meet his thrusts. "I've had better."

I gripped onto his shoulders as my words fueled him to rock into me even harder. "Oh God." I cried. I wasn't sure that I could last much longer. There was no comparison to any other sexual encounter that I had had. It had reached such epic proportions that I could hear intense violin music inside my brain.

It sounded oddly like my ringtone.

"_Holy frick._" I shrieked. That was my ringtone.

"Yeah." Edward grunted.

"No!" I cried and reached into the pockets that hung on my dress before finally locating my phone. Edward had frozen, mid-thrust, looking scared and I realized that he had probably thought that he was hurting me. "Keep going." I gripped his shoulders and pulled him back into me as I hit ANSWER on my phone.

"Hello?" I said trying to sound as calm and moan-less as possible.

"Is this Isabella Swan?" A gruff woman's voice came out of my receiver.

"This is she." I was becoming breathless again as Edward reached down swirling his fingers around my clit.

"Sorry to call so late…where you sleeping?" She asked suspiciously.

"Not at _all._" I gritted my teeth, trying to hold in my moan as his fingers began pressing against my bundle of nerves. "But it is kind of late." Despite doing my best to hold off, I knew I was going to come soon. I couldn't let it happen on the phone. "Did you need something?"

"I need something—" Edward smirked, his voice purposely loud. I cupped my hand over his mouth, muffling the rest of his comment.

"Well I'm calling from the _New York Times._"

"_Yes." _Not much longer. _One thrust_.

"We just wanted to let you know," _Two thrusts_.

"That we were picking up your latest article." _Three thrusts_.

"It'll be on the front page of the Sports section tomorrow." _Boom._

"_That's amazing_!" I whimpered as my orgasm blew through me, clenching down on Edward, curling my toes and electrifying my body until I was sure that my hair was standing on edge. He pounded his fist on the table and screamed against my hand as he released inside of me.

"I can't wait." I gasped and pushed Edward off of me. "Thank you." I hit the END button and plopped off the desk on shaky legs. He tried to help me but I pushed him off.

"That was adequate. I guess." I mumbled, meaning the exact opposite. But I couldn't let him think that he had gotten the best of me though.

I got to the floor, purposely showing him my bare ass and pushed all my things into my purse then stalked over to the door. "Lock the door on your way out. Oh, by the way, you and your little linebackers might want to read the _New York Times_ tomorrow. They'll be in it."

I didn't turn around to look at his stunned face, figuring that what I saw in my mind was better than any face he could've actually made.

It wasn't until I was almost at my dorm that I turned into an alcove, stopping to lean against the wall and was finally able to catch my breath.

* * *

**Alright guys, so it's been a while and unfortunately Scandal in the Infield is on an indefinite hiatus. But you how no need for fear for this story, I have this one completely planned out so there's nothing for you to worry about. This story will be updated once a week on Wednesdays. **

**As for now, I hope you guys like the new story. Tell me what you think! Anyone who reviews will be messaged a teaser of the next chapter, which is in Edward's POV for anyone who's anxious for it. We're going to find out more about Edward and Bella's past from him and we'll be seeing more of Rose and Emmett. I hope you guys liked it, especially the dirty bits ;) and review, if you have any suggestions or requests, I seriously read every single review and take everything you guys say seriously so let me know. So now hit that little button and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**On the Offensive**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners the original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Summary: Bella Swan is a justice-hungry, unsatisfied almost reporter and U-Dub's public enemy #1 that constantly diatribe her school's prized sport's teams. Edward Cullen is U-Dub's cherished, star quarterback and known for his skills in the bedroom. One steamy night rocks the foundation of their relationship and forever changes their lives.**

**All human, all original couples. **

**Little authors note before you read, the chapters will alternate POV, one Bella and one Edward and so on and so on. I will also be trying new summaries until I decide on one that I like so don't be surprised if it's different every time a new chapter comes out. I'm just trying to attract readers and I tend to be bad at summaries, especially those with character counts so it might be changing for a while.  
**

* * *

**E POV**

There was something wrong with me. Something seriously _fucked _up.

What the hell had I just done? Well I know _who_ I had just done but God could I have been any fucking stupider?

What the fuck had compelled me to have sex with Bella Swan? It was like a really bad porno! Well not really bad because let's face it, anytime you're in a porno is not a bad time and Bella definitely knew what she was doing but fuck!

I had literally slept with the enemy. More like public enemy number one actually, considering how many people hated her. Hell we had a dartboard with her picture on it in the locker rooms and we were not the only ones.

Dammit. I had literally been inside someone who I had thrown darts at!

The worst part was that I really wanted to do it again. And again. And again. I was pretty sure I could just spend the rest of my life inside of her and I would be a pretty happy man.

I mean she was just...fucking _sexy. _There was no other way to describe it. She always had been since the first day that I met her, her perfect, heart-shaped, shocked face as she opened the door and saw me. Both of us had frozen like we had just met the loves of our lives.

Two years later and she was only fucking sexier. The way she growled at me and whipped me with her words had only made me hard. The way she had looked at me when she…tasted herself on my fingers. Even thinking about it now as I walked down the darkened path back to my apartment only made me want to sneak off into the bushes and rub one out using the damp underwear that she had left behind and I had subsequently stolen.

I clutched my stomach uneasily. I was such a sick fuck.

And that was the most tame thought I probably had, others including smelling and tasting the underwear and fucking her against her boyfriend's desk…while he watched.

I was, surely, going to hell.

I couldn't believe this was happening again. I was becoming obsessed. But this time it was so much worse, because now I knew what it felt like. I knew what it felt like to be completely wrapped up in her. It was all-consuming.

I mean, I hadn't even remembered to put on a condom. That was Rule Number One in Coach's stupid brain. _Always wear your own condom. Don't be stupid_.

But one minute pressed up against her lithe, sexy, little body I had been ready to risk it all for just one romp. If Bella hadn't been coherent enough to remember to mention it then we'd be nine months away from a living, screaming, crying problem.

I groaned, pounding my head against the front door of my apartment.

When had I even gotten here? I couldn't even remember because all I had been able to think about was her. I couldn't believe this was happening again.

I had promised myself that I would never get into this again. Here I was doing exactly the opposite.

I sighed in annoyance and the door suddenly pulled out from under me.

"Where the hell have you been?" My sister screeched and pulled me into her perfectly tanned arms, hugging me tightly.

"Dude! We thought that the she-beast had killed you or something!" Emmett smirked. "But you survived man! What did she say? What do you do?"

I coughed uncomfortably. I knew exactly what I did but there was no way I was going to be telling him that. "Nothing. I ran out right after you, we just got separated."

I brushed past them and I could tell that they knew I was lying but there was no way I could keep talking about this.

I walked into the kitchen that overlooked the living room. I pulled out a bottle of water and turned around to see Emmett and Rosalie staring at me suspiciously over the counter.

Emmett looked suddenly nervous. "Are you alright? Like really?"

Rosalie turned to him with sincere appreciation on her face.

"I know that you guys had like this...thing freshman year-"

"It wasn't a thing." I said in a way that hopefully sounded confident. I quickly shuffled off towards my room to sit on the bed, slamming the door closed on my way.

It hadn't been a thing. It had been everything to me.

_"Will you stop touching all my stuff?" I asked and pulled the Peyton Manning bobble head out of Bella's hands. I held it up over my head as she tried to reach for it, standing on her tiptoes and pressing up tightly against my body. _

_"Please." She pouted. I loved seeing her beautiful lips pushed out. Sometimes I think she knew just how much I liked it. "Edward. I want it." _

_My heart stopped and I looked down at her. The way that she fit up against my body was as if she had been made for it, her head the perfect size and height to fit into the crook of my neck, her fingers petite enough to intertwine with mine, and her beautiful hazel eyes wide enough to stare into my soul. _

_I dropped the bobble head onto the carpet and pulled her perfect hand into mine, they were the perfect size just as I had thought. "What else do you want?" I whispered, hearing the rough and strain in my own voice. _

_She gasped lightly. Her eyes conflicted with what I couldn't understand. I knew she felt the same way about me that I did her. Didn't she? _

_She stared at me with a painful glaze. Fear gripped my heart. _

_Holy crap. I've completely misjudged this situation. ABORT. ABORT. ABORT. _

_I quickly prepared myself for the rejection that was coming. _

_"KNOCK KNOCK. Not really though." Rose sang, opening the door to my dorm without a second thought. "_Oh._ Was I interrupting something?" She smirked knowingly. _

_"No." I said quickly before Bella could open her mouth. _

_We all stood there silently for a second, basking in the awkwardness. _

_"Well are you coming Bella? It's time for our mani-pedis." Rose said hesitantly. _

_"Can you just give us a minute Rose?" Bella asked. _

_I shook my head. "It's fine Bella. Go. We'll talk later." I assured her. _

_Bella took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Her eyes watery. When had they gotten like that? _

_She moved away from me but stopped right before she reached the door. She turned around on her spot and then placed a brief kiss on my cheek. "Good bye Edward." She whispered and walked out, leaving both Rose and I confused. _

_I stood there for a while after she left, rooted to the spot, wondering what in the world had just happened, briefly touching the spot on my cheek that she had kissed. Not even remotely realizing, that my world was slowly waiting about to implode on itself. _

"You know you never answered him." Rose's quiet voice sprang me out of my stupor. "Are you okay?"

I looked up at her, me at the edge of my bed, hands on my knees. "Do you remember," I said softly, not purposely ignoring her question but with no intention of answering. "That day that you came to get Bella from my room? She was acting weird. Do you think she knew already?"

Rose sighed and crossed her arms across her chest. "I think she knew for a long time Edward. She did it maliciously. Don't waste your time even thinking about it."

She took a deep breath. "You know she's dating that stupid asshole Mike Newton right?"

I tried to hold back my panic as she was obviously trying to gage my reaction.

"He thinks he's the shit or something because he's being courted by the _New York Times_. Like he's some fucking teenage girl in the 1930's looking for a husband." She snapped.

"How do you know?" I asked carefully, trying not to reveal anything.

"He's in my creative writing class. I've seen them going at it outside of the class sometimes."

I nodded, biting my tongue to keep saying anything else.

"What time do you want to leave tomorrow?" Rose asked brightly, apparently satisfied with my responses.

Leave. Right. Christmas break started tomorrow.

"Uh I just need to get a book from the library before we go. So whatever time you want." I told her and laid down on the bed to stare at the ceiling.

She stood there, obviously irritated with my attitude. "Fine. Royce says that there's a hearing the Monday after break ends. Swan is supposed to bring whatever evidence she supposedly has. Not that I believe it exists anyway. It's not like we got a hold of it."

"We couldn't have gotten it anyway. It was on her computer." I mumbled.

"How do you know that?" She asked accusingly. "I thought you said that you ran out of there right after we did. Did you talk to her?"

I sat up on my elbows, trying to calm my sweaty palms. "I'm assuming. Everything's digital nowadays, isn't it?"

She stared at me for a moment. No doubt thinking over my evasive answer. "_Edward_ you don't want to go there. Promise me you won't. She betrayed us. All of us. She hasn't even tried to change at all. She continuously does everything possible to piss us off. Don't do it."

"I know Rosalie can you just leave me alone. I don't need you lecturing me." I sighed angrily. Thank God, I was getting my own apartment next year. This living with my sister thing was annoying as hell.

She growled but quickly walked out the door, slamming it on her way out.

* * *

After a long, restless night with teasing dreams of Isabella Swan I was woken up by the loud smashing of the cabinets in my apartment.

I groaned and looked down at my morning wood and had a feeling it had a lot more to do with my dreams than any naturally occurring bodily functions.

There was another crash and I was quickly reminded of the fact that I was never living with my sister again. Thankfully she was graduating this year so it would no longer be a problem at the end of the year.

I blew out a frustrated breath and made my way to my bathroom. After a quick, cold shower I dressed and dragged my feet into the kitchen.

"Have you seen this?" Rose screamed and threw a crumpled newspaper at my head with one hand and held a frying pan in the other.

I flattened the paper out on the table and saw the headline as she stood at the stove, scooping the eggs out of her frying pan to a plate.

**MAKING THE GRADE, AT ANY COST**

"It's in the freaking _New York Times, _Edward!" She cried desperately, slamming the pan against the stove top.

"It's only the Sports section, Rose. Anyone who reads the _New York Times_ isn't reading it for the Sports section." I assured her.

She glared at me unconvinced of my logic, stalking towards me with the pan. "I just can't believe this shit! Royce has worked so hard for his reputation and suddenly because of this bogus crap, his life is ruined!" I rolled my eyes at her concern for her boyfriend but despite his position on our team, I was unconvinced of the exceptional talents that Rose and he believed he possessed.

Rose had begun dating him before I started school here as they were both a year older than me. It wasn't until they had been dating for a few months that I had even met him. Suffice to say I was unimpressed with him. He was a good wide receiver but I had seen better, not that Royce or Rose would agree. Three years later and I still didn't approve of him, only finding him to be a sleazy, snarky douchebag. It honestly didn't surprise when he had been one of the players named in the article and I wouldn't say that I had been disappointed when he had been suspended from the team.

"Rose…" I said hesitantly. I knew she was going to freak out but I had to ask. "Are you sure that he really didn't…do it?"

"_Are you serious_?" Her eyes looked upon me, wildly furious.

Why did I say that?

"Royce graduated in the top ten of his high school and is a straight A student! Whatever time he doesn't spend with me, he spends either playing football or studying! He's already graduating a year early! What other proof does he need?" She lectured pointing the frying pan at me in a threatening way.

"Fine. I'm sorry. It was a dumb question." I conceded, considering that I was going to have to spend an hour trapped in a car with her later today. I held up my hands in surrender.

She stared at me for a moment and I could see the doubt in her eyes. She turned around and her hand trembled as she placed the pan back on the stove and reached for another egg.

It suddenly occurred to me that if he was really in on the cheating scam that he wouldn't have needed to study several nights a week alone in his dorm like I know he's told her several times on occasion.

For the first time in two days, I truly hoped that whatever it was that Bella had found was fake.

* * *

It was evident, as I walked to the library, that the campus was mostly deserted. I knew that the library was closing in an hour and I was cutting it close but I needed a copy an article on school violence to include in my sociology research paper.

The paper wasn't due until a week after we returned from break but the last football game of the year was on New Year's and I didn't want to have to worry about it when I was resting.

The doors opened automatically as I walked towards them and my footsteps echoed on the marble floors. The normal buzz of people who were usually in the first floor Starbucks was silent.

I chuckled at the irony that this was the quietest I had ever heard this part of the library. I walked up to the circular front desk—how did people even get in there—and noticed that no one seemed to be there.

Was there no one here because it was officially Christmas Break?

There was a loud bang and a silent curse before a small, brunette body materialized from underneath the desk.

I couldn't help it as my breath left when I noticed it was her. Of _fucking _course she worked at the library.

She gasped softly and froze with a book in her hand. I realized that she was wearing another dress and I mentally cursed. Why was this happening?

"What do you want?" She finally snapped.

"I need this book." I said quickly and sounding like an Asian cartoon. I slapped a post-it with the title of the book onto the desk.

Her eyes wandered down to it, her body and face unmoving. She took a deep breath and then picked it up. "Give me a second." She mumbled and made her way over to the computer on the opposite side of the desk.

I couldn't help but glance down at her ass as it swayed side to side in the tight, tan dress she was wearing. I realized that she was also wearing a pair of dark, red leggings, probably because of the cold. I don't even know how she could stand even walking around in those but thank God that she could.

My pants began to tighten as my mind roamed over the previous night's events. She bent down slowly and tortuously—and most definitely on purpose—to grab something on the bottom shelf of the desk. Her dress rose slightly above the curve of her ass and I could see the soft outline of her underwear—boy shorts again.

"_Fuck_." I whispered remembering the silky feeling of the one's from the night before beneath my fingertips. I don't know how she knew it but boy shorts were my goddamn weakness. They were like fucking daisy duke shorts but fucking shorter. God I wanted to see her bare legs stretching on beneath the shorts, barely covering the whole of her ass.

As she turned to stalk over I realized that I was panting like a fucking pervert. I had to get control of myself.

"Here's the number. It's in the sociology section." She placed a different post-it on the desk in front of me. "Bye. Bye." She sang and waved mockingly at me.

I scoffed and took the post-it reading the location. _301.257_. What the fuck? "What is this?" I asked, hating myself for it already. I knew she was going to chew me a new one when I did.

She laughed and took the post-it into her hands, pointing at the number. "This is the Dewey Decimal number. You know how to count right? The rest is self-explanatory at least to those who don't need to scam their way to the grade."

I gritted my teeth angrily. She knew there was no way that I would _ever_ cheat. I valued my future too much to risk it for something stupid like that. "I saw the article on the _last page of the Sport's section. _I heard Bee Boy's article made it front page of a national newspaper." I smirked at her though my heart clenched at the thought of her boyfriend. Why did I always forget about him?

She crossed her arms across her chest, plumping her breasts up nicely in my view. She opened her mouth but no sound came out, seemingly unable to come up with a clever response. I could practically see the smoke pouring out of her ears.

"Can you please not get your panties in a knot and just show where the book is?" I sneered.

She took a deep breath and made her way out of the desk, part of the circle opening up as a door—that's how they did that. She walked up to me, her chest pressed against mine, seething. "Don't ever think that you have an effect on my panties."

My body sizzled having her pressed up against through several layers of clothes. "That's not what you said last night." I whispered trailing my finger down her arm, feeling her shiver.

She huffed and stomped away towards where the book was supposed to be. I smirked, left behind in the wake of her floral, delicious smell. I followed as she turned a corner, making sure to keep enough distance that I could keep my eyes trained on that pert ass of hers swaying with her walk.

I hated how irresistibly sexy she was but I was sure as hell going to enjoy it. At this point, I'd already committed the crime; if I was going to get caught I might as well make it a repeat offense.

She finally stopped at a bookshelf, hidden in the back of the library, slightly covered in dust. No one was around. She reached at the top level, trying to grab the book that she was obviously too short to reach. Stubborn little thing.

I reached over her and grabbed the book with the title that I had been looking for. She let out an irritated breath and turned to me as my hand was still on the book, up above her.

"I don't need your help." She mumbled. As she looked up at me, I swore I heard a tiny whimper escape her lips, the book slipped from my fingers and banged on the ground.

My breath hitched, my body leaning towards hers, it was evidently aware of this parallel situation we found ourselves in but this time Rose wasn't here to stop us. I also knew what was lying there, waiting for me beneath her layers. How fucking perfect it was to be inside of her…how it literally made me forget about _everything_, how when we were there together nothing else mattered.

Her mouth fell open slightly and damn me if I didn't just want to reach out and shove my tongue against hers. The hand left at my side twitched as it unconsciously reached for her but I willed myself to stop. She would have to come to me this time. She wouldn't control me. She _couldn't _control me.

I stood there staring at her beautiful, brown, doe eyes for what felt like hours but was probably only a few seconds. Then she was gripping the loops of my jeans and pulling me towards her, her lips attaching to the base of my neck.

I let out a strangled sound of pleasure and gripped the shelf tightly, her tiny hand shoving its way inside and grasping my cock firmly.

"You're already hard." She said her voice hoarse, her lips pressed up against my ear. "How long have you been hard? Since you saw me bend over or before then? Does our snipping turn you on?"

I opened my mouth, ready to let out a tort response but all that came out was a moan. Fuck. Fuck me. How did she do that?

She ripped open my pants and pushed them down with my boxers, the tip of her tongue darting out briefly as she passed my cock. As she got to the floor, she pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, no fumbling when looking for it. She took the condom out of its place and ripped it open with her teeth. Fucking sexy.

I growled and took her off the ground, wrapping her covered legs around my waist. I clawed desperately at her leggings, trying to get them off without having her legs loosen off my waist.

"_Just fucking rip them_." She cried in anguish, holding my face tightly in her two hands, her nails most likely leaving marks on my face.

I leaned her back against the bookshelf—thankfully supported by the wall—and placed my hands at the tip of her leggings, underneath her dress before pulling the seams apart, leaving scraps in my hands.

Her hands made their way back to my cock and pulled the condom on expertly as I pushed her boy shorts aside, making a viable entrance for me.

I stroked a finger up her throbbing center, feeling how fucking soaked she was for me. I had barely even touched her, what was she going to be like when I finally got to explore her the way I wanted to?

She grunted and positioned herself so she was lined up with me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and took me. I let out a pathetic whine as we both adjusted to the feeling, her tight, wet, throbbing center pulling me in, deeper and deeper.

"Move." She demanded as she began rocking her hips against mine.

I nodded and took my time, thrusting into her slowly and deliberately. Her head fell back against the books and I sucked at her neck, hoping to mark her.

She pushed against my chest and forced me off of her neck. "_Stop_. He'll see."

I froze. Fuck. I had forgotten she had a boyfriend. I gulped, the guilt washing over me.

Her body clenched around me and all thoughts of the dumbass were forgotten. I had to focus or I'd blow my load all over her in a second. I needed more time.

"Don't think I'm going to stop writing those articles just because of this." She grunted.

"If it ends up with us fucking like this, you can write one every fucking day for all I care." I assured her, rolling my hips, letting her feel me flex inside of her.

She gasped lightly, biting her bottom lip before responding. "This is never happening again."

"Sure." I mumbled disbelievingly and started thrusting faster, seeing her eyes roll slightly back into her head. I needed her to come. She had been right about the snipping. It did turn me on.

After several hard and fasts thrusts, she tightened and I practically sighed in relief, letting myself go as her pussy throbbed around me.

We panted for a few moments and I could feel the awkwardness seeping into us. She slowly slid off of me and I gently put her on the floor. She picked the floor up off the ground and scurried away, only mumbling "I'll check this out," as she went.

* * *

Being home was exactly what I needed. Far away from Bella and her magical body. Far away from the team. Far away from articles. Far away from everything.

All I needed was my mother's wonderful home cooking and I would be complete for the next three weeks, despite the gaping hole that I almost constantly felt in my chest lately.

My fingers danced over the keys of my baby grand, doing their best to distract me from the…unique morning I had had.

As soon as I had made it back to my parent's house, I had to change my shirt because I could still smell the sweet ambrosia of her hair on it. I hadn't washed it but I couldn't stand to smell it knowing what had happened this morning.

I was slightly ashamed of my actions for several reasons. The first being that, I kept attacking Bella like a fucking animal, not that she didn't respond promptly but at this point I was that annoying dog that you're aunt has that humps your leg, _every fucking time_ you see it.

And fuck it all, if I didn't escape my mind that she had a fucking boyfriend. That stupid prick Mike Newton. I had somewhat lied about what I actually knew about him. I knew a lot because I was a weird ass stalker who spent my free time checking up on a girl that I hadn't even dated three years ago.

God, if my sister ever knew, she'd probably bury me alive before I could even get the chance to try and explain it to her. Even though I think she may have been lying about how much she disliked Bella if her little display this morning was any contribution.

But mostly, if the team ever found out the truth I'd be shunned forever. They wouldn't trust me and they sure as hell wouldn't want to play with me. I couldn't let that happen. This team was everything to me. Football was everything to me. Which meant that I couldn't see her anymore.

I had gotten my fill and I couldn't risk it again just for some pleasure—well a lot of pleasure.

NO.

I wouldn't risk it for _anything_. That was the bottom line. From the Huskies to the New York Giants. That had to be my focus from now on.

She couldn't cloud me anymore. She had been doing it since the day I had met her but Goddammit if I was going to keep letting her do it.

"Why did you stop playing?"

I jumped and turned to see my mother leaning against the doorway—what was it with the women in this family—her soft green eyes staring at me intently.

"I—uh—I didn't even realize I had stopped." I said honestly.

She nodded and walked over to me, sitting next to me on the bench. "Who was that about?"

"What do you mean?" I demanded defensively, hoping I didn't look panicked.

"That song. I've never heard it before." She clarified, looking at me cautiously. She knew I was hiding something.

"I wasn't really thinking about anything." I admitted. I had been thinking about Bella and trying to distract myself. I hadn't realized I was playing a new song. "I was just playing…did you like it?"

"It was beautiful sweetheart." She praised. "It was deep and almost heartbreaking. It was almost as if you were reaching for something but was pulled away from it."

My heart pounded heavily, not oblivious to the meaning behind what she had heard.

She turned to the piano and slowly began drumming the keys, apparently playing the song that I had just played. The song ebbed slowly, higher and higher, at the precipice of something greater but the moment that I expected to hear the climax, it was forced back, lower than before. My heart sank as the music fell into a depreciated version of the earlier notes. Her fingers stilled and she looked at me, seeing my confused face.

"What's happening sweetheart?" She asked softly and reached for my hand.

"It's complicated." I chuckled. "I'm not sure I even understand it, nonetheless explain it."

"Well, you know that I'm always here for you dear, if you ever need me." She guaranteed me.

I nodded. Certain of the words she spoke.

She patted my hand. "Now set the table. Dinner's almost ready and Royce will be here soon."

I winced. "I didn't know that he was coming to dinner."

"Yes well he wasn't supposed to but after that article came out, he decided he wanted to put off his trip home for a little while longer and is coming over for dinner on his way there. He may even spend the night." She explained.

I rolled my eyes. Great.

"Come on dear. It won't be that bad." She comforted me, patting my back.

Because having to listen to Royce bitch about Bella when I was trying to forget about her wouldn't be bad at all.

She turned to me curiously, tilting her head to the side. "What happened to your face?"

I groaned. Bella's nail marks _were _visible. I'd have to look at them for the next week at least.

What a great fucking way to start my Christmas vacation.

* * *

**Well then! No long author's note besides the one up top. Here's a tiny little teaser from next chapter!**

Teaser: "_What are you doing in there_?" Emmett shouted, the sound of his fist hammering the door echoing in the room. "Is someone pounding you for Christ's Sake?"

"I wish you were pounding me right now." I breathed.

"Fuck off Emmett. I'll be there in a second!" He barked through his panting breathes.

"I hope it's longer than a second."

**If you want more, review. I PM teasers of the next chapter for anyone who reviews…and they're dirtyyyy ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**On the Outside**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners the original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Summary: Bella Swan has one life mission: to reveal and bring down all corrupt institutions through her investigative journalism. And she's starting with U-Dub's crooked sports teams. But when she is reunited with her ultimate crush and star quarterback, Edward Cullen, snarky and conceited Bella is forced to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about life, love and morals.**

**All human, all original couples.**

**I have a little warning for those reading, I apologize, first normally, my chapters are up by one on Wednesday mornings but this one came kinda late. That is because one of my eye's has been rather swollen for the past few days and I stare at a computer screen all day at work, so doing it when I'm writing has been almost impossible since I can't look directly at the screen for that long. That is also why I have not proofread this chapter. I promise when I get better I will but I just can't right now and I really didn't want to mess up my chapter schedule so I did my best to post it today. With that, continue on.**

* * *

**BPOV**

I was a masochist. There was literally no other explanation for it. Honestly.

Why else would I have had mind-blowing sex not once but TWICE with Edward Cullen. I was a glutton for punishment.

I was so ashamed of myself that I couldn't even stand to hand him his book after we had done in the stacks. God could we have been more of a cliché?

I had left his book on the desk and watched him walk up to the desk, slightly confused. He noticed the book and then looked around for a few seconds before he dejectedly took it and left the library.

Surprisingly enough, I felt horrible about it. I don't think I would've been that upset if it had been anyone else or even Mike but something about Edward Cullen changed me. He completely obscured my vision, eclipsing everything in his wake.

He even made me feel guilty about my articles. The problem was that I couldn't afford to let something like that happen. Edward Cullen was my drug and in the past two days I had found myself relapsing.

A snickering from behind me brought me out of the way I was obsessively thinking about Edward.

I crossed my arms, instantly recognizing the high pitched giggling and who it was coming from. I had listened to it for months on end. Yes I knew exactly who it was.

I spun on my ankle and faced them with the fiercest face I could. "Ladies." I spat staring at the almost identical bimbos. The only distinguishing factor between them was that Jessica was a brunette whereas Lauren was a blond. "Can I help you? Do you maybe need directions back to your car?"

They both symmetrically tilted their heads in unimpressed petulance.

"Clever, _Bella_." Jessica said tauntingly.

"Well what are you two doing on campus so late on vacation? I figured you'd be in Maui by now." I cheered in mock happiness.

"The cheerleaders stayed behind to decorate the Football player's locker room for the New Year's game. Not that you would care." Lauren smirked. "That's something that only people with _friends_ do, last I checked, you didn't have any. Not here anyway."

"Tell me Lauren." I stamped my foot unimpressed. "Do you have to inject the bitchiness everyday like an insulin shot or do you just sprinkle it over Cheerios in the morning?"

"Oh Bella." Jessica sighed. "Don't be jealous that you never got the chance to be with Edward. He fawned over you like a good little dog for the first few months but once everyone found out what we already knew, he dumped you like yesterday's caviar. You never would've been able to satisfy him sexually or class it up with all his of the people his family entertain."

"You can take the girl out of the trailer park but you can't the trailer park out of the girl." Lauren grinned.

I gritted my teeth and curled my hands into fists. If only they knew the truth. That I had Edward panting after me like that same lost little dog he had been years ago, begging to be inside me. My face flushed with anger but I couldn't let it out. I couldn't betray him like that again.

I couldn't risk the chance of ruining whatever was happening between us again.

I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself, and looked at their triumphant faces, they may not be able to know the truth but that didn't mean that I was going to let them get the upper hand on me.

"Oh ladies. Ever heard of projection? Do you think I don't know how desperately you two lusted over him and still do? Because even if he was mentally challenged from the multiple brain contusions that he got from getting crushed by three hundred pound men, he still wouldn't touch either of you with a twenty foot pole."

They stared at me for a moment, their smiles faltering.

"I'm sorry. Do you need me to repeat it in smaller words?" I jeered. "Edward Cullen will _never_ be interested in either of you or your overused pussies."

They both gasped in horror at me and I whirled around, continuing on my merry way.

I stomped all the way to _The Daily_ and did my best to focus on the happiness that besting Jessica and Lauren gave me rather than the anticipation of having to face Mike again gave me. Why had I asked him to stay late to get my story the other day? Why didn't I just tell him to go home? Why did I cheat on him? Why did Edward have some goddamn weird ass freaking control over me?

I stood outside the door and straightened my shoulders. I looked down at my appearance making sure that there was nothing haphazard about it—and that all the pieces of my tights had been effectively removed—and unlocked the door.

My heart thumped in my chest and I stalked over to my desk, refusing to look up.

"Hey babe."

_Shit. _ He was here.

I looked up and I felt my blood drain being successfully replaced with guilt. "Hi." I squeaked.

Dammit. Get it together.

He stared at me with a smile on his face, nothing seemed amiss to him. How was that possible? I was sweating in odd places and I could feel the guilt written on my own face. What the hell was wrong with me? I was a regular undercover reporter. Lying was part of the job description.

"Did you hear me?"

Shit. He had been talking the whole time I was rambling in my own freaking head. "No sorry."

"Do you have the story that I had to have before we left on vacation?" He asked, possibly irritated but I was to guilt-ridden to even know for sure.

"Oh." I croaked. I searched through my bag and felt the shredded pieces of fabric in my hand. I closed my eyes and remembered the feeling of Edward filling me up. I suddenly felt like vomiting. How could I be so turned on and so miserable at the same time?

Finally I found the paper that I was looking for and practically threw it at Mike. In my haste, I also threw a piece of my red tights at him.

"What is this?" Mike complained and threw it back at me, unsuspicious and focused on my article.

I quickly stuffed it back in my bag. "Uh broken cloth, rag, I mean uh, I ripped—"

He held a hand up at me, bored. "I meant the article. Not the scrap material."

"Oh." I laughed uneasily.

"Do you feel alright Bella?" He asked me, concern on his face.

"Yeah, I'm just anxious to get back home." I forced a smile on my face but I knew that he wasn't buying it. "The articles about the distribution of money donated to the school, especially focused on how much was being spent on the football team compared to the other teams. They get like 75% of all the money allotted to the sports department."

"Hmm. I'll check it out and get back to you. We already had a tuition article last week, it might be too similar." He muttered turning around and walking back over to his desk.

I caught a glimpse of my desk, the items in disarray. I couldn't take it anymore. "I have to go!" I screeched.

Mike jumped in surprise.

"Bye. See you after break." I said before racing out of there. I needed Alice. I needed her now.

* * *

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Alice shrieked. She jumped up from the couch in our tiny common living room and stomped her feet into the ground. "You cheated on Mike! With EDWARD CULLEN!"

"Jesus Christ Alice! I don't think they heard you in Timbuktu! Could you please keep it down?" I ran over to the door and looked through the peep hole but didn't see anyone in the hallway.

"Well if you didn't want anyone finding out about it then you shouldn't have done it Bella!" Alice crossed her arms across her chest in a lecturing manner.

"As if I don't feel guilty enough already, Alice. I didn't tell you so that you could read me the riot act. I don't know what to do." I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated for putting myself in this situation.

"Look, I know that I have never approved with your relationship with Mike. I understand that it is…unconventional…" That was an understatement. She knew plan and simple that I was using him as a stepping stone to my career. "But this is just cruel Bella."

I sighed, contemplating the situation. At first it had just been a way to get over the devastation that I felt of what I had done but eventually I had just numbed myself to the pain. Mike had never been anything more to me than just a way to get what I wanted. I had honestly never felt guilty about it. I was pretty sure that Mike didn't have any actual romantic feelings for me besides wanting to get inside my pants. I had problem with that, it wasn't like I was using him and if he had been better at it then I wouldn't have minded at all but now it was tearing me up inside.

"I don't know what to do Alice. I just feel…I don't know. I feel weird." I clutched my stomach. "I feel like I'm going to vomit when I see him. I can barely look at him."

"Break up with him if you're not in this Bella." Alice pressed.

"I just need some time to think." I cried exasperated. "I just need to think."

"Well then do it," Alice said but I could tell that she was rather disappointed. "But don't take forever to decide what it is that you really want. It's wrong of you to do this."

I sighed. "I know."

She drops back down onto the couch and crosses her legs, getting comfortable. She smirked. "Now how was he?"

I felt my face heat up and a furious blush. "I—"

"Did he make you come?" She giggled and brought herself closer to me.

"_Alice_." I groaned. "Come on. Can we not have this conversation?"

"Of course we're having this conversation." She snapped. "Now tell me or I'm going to get out the cosmos and we're going to have ourselves a regular _Sex and the City_ dish fit. I know how you love those."

"Well, you know I would love that." I said sarcastically. "But I have to drive home now and you know that I don't drink and drive, especially at twenty-three."

Alice clapped her hand excitedly. "Tell Papa Swan I miss him." She winked seductively.

"Don't be weird." I insisted and quickly ran to my room, threw on a new pair of leggings before taking my packed duffle bag in my grasp.

I take one last look at Alice, whose grinning like the Cheshire Cat. She may be slightly disappointed in me but it's nice to know that no matter what she always has my back. I don't have too many friends like that anymore. Well none except for her really.

If I had learned anything in the past few years, it was the value of a true friend. I would never regret meeting Alice.

* * *

When I left Forks, I was excited to leave for the real world and get my life started. Lately, however now all I could think of was going back home.

I missed my father more than I could've ever believed despite only being about a four hour drive. Money had been tight for a while back at home, luckily school was paid for completely, including my dorm but I had to pay for my mown money by using my payment from _The Daily_.

I was lucky enough to get by but I didn't have enough money for frequent road trips back home. So when I finally pulled my car into the driveway I had been excited and anxious to see my father. That was until I saw the police cruiser sitting idly next to my father's car.

My lips pursed and I got out of the car, taking my purse and slammed the door angrily. I swear, he always knew exactly when I was coming home, that or he asked my father what day he was and made up some lame excuse to spend the whole day there.

I took a deep breath as I searched through my purse, looking for the keys to the house, praying that I hadn't accidently left them in the dorm. Finally, luck was on my side and I slid the key in quietly, hoping that they weren't sitting watching TV but even from outside I could hear the remnants of Sport's Center through the door.

"Bella!" They both screamed.

I stifled a frown. They were already drunk.

"Jake, shouldn't a Deputy of the county know better than to be drinking when he's underage." I sneered, stomping past them, throwing my purse on the counter.

"Aw, Bells. Don't be jealous, Charlie here isn't going to go reporting me to anyone. I'll sleep on the couch tonight to make sure that no one even sees." He leered. I could practically see him sneaking into my bedroom trying to get me to sleep with him. Sadly it wouldn't be the first time he tried that. "And I'm not going to be Deputy for long. I'm running for Chief. The election's going to be next month."

I saw a scowl cross over my father's face for a moment but he quickly turned back to the TV. "Look Bella, your school's on Sport's Center." He pointed at the screen.

I strolled over, casually avoiding Jake's outstretched hands as he was apparently expecting a hug, I stood behind my father and wrapped my arms around his neck looking at the screen.

There was a clip of someone running the ball down the field, and I didn't need to see his name to know who it was. The tightening in my lower stomach, alerted me to that. My body recognized him even when I didn't.

The playback fell back to the background of the anchor's desk.

I turned away, placing a quick kiss on my father's head and made my way back to the door, intending to get my car.

"If Edward Cullen keeps playing this way, it won't be long until he's the number one pick of the Draft." One of the reporters chuckled over the screen.

"Didn't you used to know an Edward?" My father asked expectantly.

My hand froze on the door handle and I turned, shocked that he would remember Edward's name. He looked at me calmly and Jake turned his head to the side looking at me questionably.

"Nope." I responded, hoping that my voice wasn't croaking like I thought it was. "Never met one in my life."

* * *

Luckily Jake didn't stay home that night, after a call from the station. It seemed to be busy enough to keep him away from the house for a few days, until New Year's Eve when my father told me that he would be joining us for the ball drop.

I tried to hold inside the irritability that Jake brought out in me. I didn't want my father to know because he thought that we got along amicably after the break-up but there was too much hostility in me to bear and grin it when he made untoward advances at me every time that I was home.

I had broken up with him a few weeks before I left for college when he had proposed marriage. It was as if he didn't even know me at all! Like I would want to get married in live here for the rest of my life teaching third graders how to write in cursive! Well suffice to say he had not taken it well and was still trying his hardest to convince me that I had made a mistake. So far the only mistake that I had realized was getting together with him in the first place.

That was what caused me to spend New Year's Eve alone in my room with a locked door, while Jake was downstairs with my father who tried to convince him that I was simply being unsociable this evening. I didn't see the point in lying.

I sighed, thinking about whether or not I should bother calling Alice and wishing her an early Happy New Year's before calling it a night. I slid my fingers over the screen of my iPhone, accidently hitting one of the letters on the side.

As soon as I hit, I knew exactly what was coming because I only had one name under the letter E.

_Edward_.

I shouldn't have even kept the stupid number but I couldn't help myself that long fateful day, three years ago when I had cleared out all the phone numbers that I no longer needed. His was the only one I kept.

I looked at the clock. It was only eleven. He'd probably be out at some bar with beautiful, model-like girls hanging all over him. My blood boiled at the image brewing in my mind, his lips kissing the faceless girls the same way that he had kissed me, not even my mouth but tasting as much of my skin as he could.

I growled and unaware of what I was doing, I hit his phone number.

"Fuck!" I cursed but threw the phone to my ear, wondering if he'd answer. Wondering if he still had my number. If he left it to voicemail, I'd just hang up and he would never know the difference.

_Brrring. Brrrring Brrrring. _

_You've reached Edward—"_

There that was end of it. I swore and tossed my phone on the bed, problem solved, question answered. He didn't have my number anymore. I wasn't surprised. I would've deleted it too.

Suddenly, the bed began to shake.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." I muttered, putting my head in my hands. He was calling me back. If I didn't answer he would hear my answering machine and know that it was me. I was such a fucking idiot.

"Shit." It was going to stop ringing soon. I had to decide.

I jumped across the bed and fell on my stomach. "Hello?" I whispered, my eyes closing tightly.

There was a loud thumping noise. He was at a party or a club. He was somewhere with girls.

"Hello?" I repeated. He still hadn't answered.

"Bella?" I heard him scream. There was a slamming and the background became silent, the thumping fading into the background.

"Hi." I mumbled pathetically.

"…Is everything okay?" He asked hesitantly.

"Where are you?" I slapped my hand to my face, trying to cover my idiot, self-controlled mouth. What the hell was I thinking.

"I'm at a bar with friends." He said quietly. "Why are you calling? Are you drunk?"

I sighed. "No, I wish I was."

"You shouldn't be calling me." He snarled. "This is wrong and you know it."

"I do."

"Then why do you do it?"

"I can't help myself." I said honestly, the distance and the anonymity of being over the phone, breaking down my walls. It was easy to talk to him now. "Why aren't you hanging up?"

"Fuck." He hissed. "I have no idea."

There's a minute of complete silence, I count the ticking seconds and listen to the beating of the music intertwining with the huffs of his breath. I can practically hear him clenching the tip of his nose in between the tip of his thumb and forefinger. How is it possible to know him this well?

Finally, he lets out a deep breath, breaking the pattern of constant silence. "What are you wearing, Bella?"

My body temperature rises at deep grunt of his voice.

"Are you…are you wearing boy shorts?"

I can't help the panting giggle that escapes my throat. "Do you like those?"

"I _fucking _love them." He groaned. "Are you alone?"

"I'm in my bed." I said, wrestling my shorts off of my legs. "Where are you?" I questioned abruptly. Hadn't he said that he was in a bar?

"I'm in the bathroom. Don't worry, I'm alone and I locked the door." He explained and inexplicably that calms my heart rate. He wasn't going to get caught. "Take off your clothes."

I moan in response and pull my top off.

"I can't believe I've never even seen you're breasts." His voice is strained, almost in pain. "Touch them, describe them to me."

My whole body is throbbing in anticipation already. I run my fingers up my body and palm my breasts softly, imagining his rough hands touching me. "They're soft, warm and…heavy." I croak.

"I bet they overflow your hands but I know they'd be the perfect size for mine. I wish I could touch you. I wish I could taste you."

My breathing intensifies and I find myself squirming, pressing my legs together.

"I wish I could just bury myself between your legs, licking and fucking you with my tongue all day but still have you wrapped around my cock at the same time."

I jumped as I heard a reverbing pounding from Edward's side of the line.

"_What are you doing in there_?" I recognized the voice, it was Emmett. He was shouting, and the sound of his fist hammering the door echoing in the room. "Is someone pounding you for Christ's Sake?"

"I wish you were pounding me right now." I breathed.

"Fuck off Emmett. I'll be there in a second!" He barked through his panting breathes.

"I hope it's longer than a second." I licked my lips and reached my fingers down, teasing the wet skin of my core. "I'm so wet, Edward. Are you hard? Do you wish that I had my lips wrapped around you?"

"Fuck. More than anything."

"Mhmm. God," I murmur as I pumped two of my fingers, curling them inside of me. "I've never felt so full then with you inside of me." I instantly curse myself. Why the fuck did I say that? That should've stayed inside of my head.

I hear him slam his palm against the door and I can just imagine him gripping it tightly a he rubs himself violently. I arch into my palm, the combination of his panting breathes, my fingers and his words swirling in my head forcing the violent and pleasurable orgasm to run through my body.

His rough and low scream ripped through the phone and I knew that he had come as well when his breathes began to even out.

I laid down on my bed, the only thing I could hear was the threading of my heart in my ears. Then there was a pounding on the door but it was from my side.

"Bella." I heard Jake sing slightly. He was already drunk. "It's almost midnight."

"Go away!" I shouted, not wanting Jake to ruin my post-orgasm glow.

"It's fine. I need to go anyway..." Edward mumbled on the phone. "…Bye Bella."

"Bye." I whispered, a pain rising in my chest.

Jake begins to knock again and I throw my pillow at the door. I can't go outside just yet.

In this moment, I am unsure about many, many things but the one thing that I do know is that I am most certainly fucked.

* * *

**Again, I completely apologize for any mistakes, and I promise I will go through them and fix them but I just cannot tonight. Since I just finished this chapter I do not have a teaser of next week's chapter but I can tell you that next week, we're back with Edward on his Christmas vacation! It'll be the last vacation chapter.**

**And if you guys are interested. I've started a new story called Worth the Wait. Basically Edward and Bella have been in love since they were kids but Bella's now engaged to Jake after a series of misfires in their relationship. Edward moves back to town and Bella is forced to all the feelings she's been hiding about Edward since he moved away. Of course it's rated M and it's smutty. **

**Also I'm curious to know what you guys think about the multiple little mysteries going on. What do you guys think happened between Edward and Bella? There are a few more but I don't want to alert them to you if you haven't figured them out yet. So let me know! As always, every review will get a preview of the next chapter!**


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